Blast effect charge

ABSTRACT

A high-explosive blast effect charge of high performance composed of red phosphorous, an explosive and a binding agent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a high-explosive blast effect charge.

Conventional high-explosive (HE) blast effect charges are typically composed of mixtures of explosives with metallic fuels such as boron, silicon, aluminium, titanium, zirconium, magnesium or mixtures, metal-rich compounds, or alloys of these metals.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

One inherent disadvantage of the use of metals in binary and uniform charges of this type is the fact that the combustion of metal particles is in general influenced only insignificantly by the atmospheric pressure. This means that the pressure exponent n in Vielle's Law r=a.p^(n) is only very small. Furthermore, metals in principle suffer from the defect that the oxide layers which adhere to them prevent rapid combustion. In particular, boron, which is calorifically so advantageous, with a volume-related combustion enthalpy of 138 MJ/dm³ is not completely involved in a reaction owing to the inherent B₂O₃ layer, irrespective of whether this is in the detonation reaction zone or during subsequent combustion.

The problems of conventional blast effect charges based on metal are therefore:

a small pressure exponent n of the metals used and thus scarcely any increase in the combustion rate in enclosed areas, and

incomplete reaction of the metals as a result of oxide layers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a high-explosive blast effect charge which avoids the abovementioned problems with conventional blast effect charges. One particular aim is to produce a higher performance blast effect charge, that is to say faster combustion, which is as complete as possible, in enclosed areas.

The blast effect charge proposed according to the present invention is composed of red phosphorous or a compound containing red phosphorous, an explosive and a binding agent.

The advantages of a blast effect charge such as this containing red phosphorous are, in particular,

a high pressure exponent n and thus faster combustion in enclosed areas, and

high volatility of the resultant oxide, and thus a contribution to the pressure volume work.

The blast effect charge is thus highly explosive, burns more quickly and completely than conventional blast effect charges based on metal, and thus achieves a very high pressure volume work.

The binding agent for the blast effect charge can optionally be an inert binding agent or an explosive, such as TNT or TATB.

The molecular P/O ratio of the blast effect charge may be either ≦2/5 or else ≧2/5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above and further features and advantages of the invention will be understood better from the following description of one preferred, non-restrictive, exemplary embodiment.

The present invention solves the problems described in the introduction of conventional blast effect charges based on metal, by the use of red phosphorous.

When red phosphorous is ignited at atmospheric pressure, then it burns slowly in the region of 0.1 mm/s. Oxygen-unbalanced pyrotechnic charges based on red phosphorous in contrast produce combustion rates of 1/2 mm/s. When charges such as these are enclosed, the combustion after ignition is even explosive.

Mixtures comprising the system octogen (explosive with the overall formula C₄H₈N₈O₈, cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine, also referred to as Homocyclonite or HMX (High Melting Explosive)/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB, use as a fuel and a binding agent) and red phosphorous (RP) produce detonation rates which are higher than those of pure HMX. Thus, for example, the ternary system HMX/HTPB/RP with a mixture ratio of 68/12/20 produces a detonation rate of approximately 11 100 m/s and a Chapman-Jouget pressure of not less than 55 GPa.

However, the invention is of course not just restricted to blast effect charges using the above ternary system HMX/HTPB/RP.

For example, an explosive such as TNT or TATB can also be used as the binding agent, instead of the non-explosive HTPB, which is difficult to ignite.

Furthermore, the molecular P/O ratio of the blast effect charge may be not only ≦2/5 but also ≧2/5, depending on its composition.

The use of red phosphorous or of compounds containing red phosphorous in the blast effect charge according to the invention results in a high pressure exponent n in Vielle's Law as mentioned initially, which results in faster combustion in enclosed areas. Furthermore, the resultant oxide is in this case highly volatile (for example from about 250° C.), which leads to a complete, or at least virtually complete, reaction of the effect charge, while at the same time making a contribution to the pressure-volume work. As is evident from the above description, the blast effect charge also requires a smaller proportion of expensive nitramines such as HMX and the like than conventional systems. 

1. Blast effect charge, composed of red phosphorous or a compound containing red phosphorous, an explosive and a binding agent.
 2. Blast effect charge according to claim 1, wherein the binding agent is an inert binding agent.
 3. Blast effect charge according to claim 1, wherein the binding agent is an explosive.
 4. Blast effect charge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the molecular P/O ratio of the effect charge is at most 2/5.
 5. Blast effect charge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the molecular P/O ratio of the effect charge is at least 2/5. 